Kasauli: A pristine nature's gift that has to be preserved

Assistant Town Planner Shail Bala Sharma [in blue]  heading a Supreme Court-ordered demolition drive, hours before she was shot dead in Kasauli | ANI Assistant Town Planner Shail Bala Sharma [in blue] heading a Supreme Court-ordered demolition drive, hours before she was shot dead in Kasauli | ANI

Kasauli, an hour's drive from Chandigarh, is known to people for different reasons. Some know it for the Lawrence School in Sanawar, a part of the Kasauli Hills. On the highway to Kasauli is the Giani da Dhaba, famous for its aromatic, rich, desi food. Some know it for Solan Number 1, a malt whiskey manufactured in the Mohan Meakin Brewery—it was insanely popular in Pakistan for years. In the old days, anyone bitten by a dog had to get an anti-rabies shot from Kasauli—the vaccine was not available elsewhere in the region. Way before button mushrooms became a fixture at every vegetable stall, visitors to Kasauli brought them back to the plains. And of course, people in the states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal are fond of the Kasauli Club and its erstwhile exclusive memberships. The Monkey Point—some say it is Man Ki Point—right atop Kasauli has a temple, but visitors really go to catch a glimpse of the sun shining on the azure waters of the Sukhna Lake, and a view of Chandigarh, almost at one's feet.

What is really special about Kasauli is its environment. A knowledgeable visitor can actually name the flower or plant, the scent of which is floating past, not necessarily the overall aroma of pines and pure air. Trees and plants are lush green, and every bed of flowers on the commons is untouched. There is no litter, no plastic, no foil. If there is one place where people inhale experiences and take back nothing but memories, it is Kasauli. The place has a good sprinkling of visitors round the year, all trying to beat the heat in summer, and catch a bit of snowfall in winter. But it hardly ever snows in the winter.

The area, though civilian, is really a cantonment, managed largely by the Kasauli Cantonment Board; beyond a point, one is not allowed to take the car. Residents may have the permission to do that. The place boasts a lot of famous residents. The late author-journalist Khushwant Singh lived in 'Raj Villa', named after his wife. Late bureaucrat and former governor B.K. Nehru was a resident, and Kasauli was home to Fory Nehru till she passed, at well over a hundred. Among the living legends who call Kasauli home is artist Vivan Sundaram—residing in the home of his aunt, artist Amrita Shergill.

In Kasauli, new buildings cannot come up legally. The residents have formed a body called SPOKE—Society to Protect the Kasauli Environs. SPOKE is constantly in the courts, warding off attempts to spoil the environs of Kasauli.

The gunning down of assistant town planner Shail Bala Sharma, who was overseeing the implementation of a Supreme Court order to demolish illegal constructions in the picturesque hill station, is a story depicting the extent to which builders will go, and the quantum of effort required to stall it. 

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